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Breightmet 89-year-old 'wanted to scare neighbour', stab trial told

AN 89-year-old man on trial for stabbing his neighbour told a court he was only trying to frighten his alleged victim.

William Dutton told police he picked out his biggest kitchen knife before going outside his home to scare off Steven Waring, who he claimed had just attacked his son.

A jury at Bolton Crown Court yesterday heard transcripts from Dutton’s police interview following his arrest.

The pensioner said: “I should think I picked the biggest one on purpose to threaten him with it because you can see the blade. I was just going to threaten him that’s all, not stab him with it, just frighten him with it.”

Dutton said he left his home with the knife, on January 26, after hearing his son Ronald shout for his help. He told police his son, who the court heard was “an invalid” due to diabetes and asthma problems, was knocked in the gutter by Mr Waring.

Dutton added: “Waring was effing and blinding and all that caper. He said ‘you bugger’ and said ‘I will bloody kill you’.

“He had already knocked my son in the gutter. He held his arms out then he wrestled with the knife. He is nothing but a big bully.

“I was hoping he would back away. If I had picked the knife up to assault him I would have held it horizontally to thrust it in — but it was vertical.”

He said Mr Waring may have accidentally cut himself with the knife.

Mr Waring was taken to Manchester Royal Infirmary with a 10cm cut across his throat and neck.

The jury heard Waring’s blood was on Dutton’s shirt and cardigan.

Dutton fell to the ground after the alleged scuffle and was “knocked out” after banging his head, the court heard.